Wards



(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 G. D. EDWARDS. DITCHING MACHINE.

No. 291,040. Patented Jan; 1, 1884.

N. PETERS. Plmlu-Uihngraphur, Washingtom n. c

a UNITED STATES;

PATENT friucn.

CHARLES DUGLASS EDWARDS, or ALBERTLEA, MnvNEsor'A.

D'lTCHlNG MAQHlNE.

SPECIFICATION forming-part of Letters Patent No. 291,040, dated January 1, 1884. V Application filed October 16, 188i (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES DUGLASS En- W ARDs, a resident of AlbertLea, in the county of Freeborn and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ditching-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to ditching-machines;

and it consists in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter shown and described, and sought to be specifically claimed.

Figure 1 is a side view, and Fig. 2 is a plan view,- of the ditcher complete. Fig. 3 is a detached perspective view of the frame supporting the share and mold-board. Fig. 4 is a perspective view detached of the nose of the share, illustrating its construction. Fig. 5 is a sectional side view and a crosssectional view of-the nose of the share. Fig. 6 is a front elevation of Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 7 is a crosssectional view from the rear. Fig. 8 is an enlarged side view of the cutter-adjusting mechanism. Figs. 9, 10, 11, and 12 are enlarged,

.detached perspective views of the details of the nut and pivot of the cutter adjustment; Figs. 13, 14, and 15, enlarged details of the clevis. Fig. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the cutter-adjusting mechanism. 1

The frame-work of the plow is constructed in the ordinary manner, with the long wooden side A on the land side and the two short wooden pieces A A at the ends of the furrow side, and the thin metal connecting-bar B between the ends of the pieces A A, and with the wooden cross end pieces A A Upon the upper surface of the rear end of the sides A A are secured standards 0 0 through which the axle D of the rear carrying-wheels, D D passes, and is held at. any desired elevation by pins a. When'the plow is to be transported from place to place, the wheels D D are lowered down, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, and when the plow is at work the wheels will be elevated up out of the way, as shown by the full lines.

Attached to the pieces A A" are short chains b b When the plow is to be raised preparatory to its removal from one place to another,

the wheels D D are let down till they rest on the ground, whena lever-is passed through one of the links of the chain and rested upon the airle, 'so that by depressing the lever the plow-frame will be raised, and then held at the desired point by a-pin, a, passed through the standard above the axle of the wheel. By using several links the lifting-lever can be placed at the angle of inclination found most advantageous.

The mold-board and share consist of the angular base-frame E, narrow at the lower end and branching outward and backward and upward, andsecured loosely to a cross-shaft, d. pivoted in suitable bearings on the side A A The lower end of this frame E is inclined inward at its sides and adapted to receive a metal shoe, F, having its sides 0 a converging inward to correspond to the inwardly-inclining sides of the frame E, so that when driven upon the lower end of the frame it cannot be lifted upward therefrom, but will be firmly held in place. @3

Upon the bottom of the frame E a metal shield, F is secured by bolts or rivets passing through all three of the parts-via, the frame F, shoe F, and plate F thereby forming a very firm strong nose to the plow, which is easily and cheaply constructed and applied.

By its dovetail form the nose 7 maybe driven tightly upon the frame E before being fastened thereto, so that it is not liable to become loosened;

G is the mold-board, which is constructed and attached to thebase-frame E, as shown.

Hinged to the cross-piece A is a graduated 'chock or brace, H, adapted to rest by one of its notches beneath the upper end of the frame E, to support it and prevent the strain the mold-board when required. Avalve may be arranged to close the hole 10, if required.

Upon the forward ends of the sides A and A are two angularly-set'standards, K K, in which long screws e e? are mounted, and adapt ed tobe revolved forward or backward by 'all coming upon the cutting-knives, as herehand-levers L L to run nuts Mllf upon the screws 0 a up and down within the standards. These nuts are held from turning by fitting between the sides of the standards K K and are provided around three sides with grooves g, (see Figs. 10 and 12, which represent perspective views of these nuts detached,) in which forked bolts h fit, as shown in Fig. 16. The forked bolts are provided onone end with pivots 71" and nut or pin it, over which pivots the side cutters, N N, are held, as shown,while the opposite forked endsJt If, pass out through plates M M, which have flanged ends fitting around the edges of the standards K K, to prevent their sides spreading apart. By this means the forked bolts not only serve to secure the plates M AF in place, but also act as pivots to carry the cutters N N, and the cutters N N by being raised and lowered cause the nose F to cut deeper or shallower. The lower ends of the cutters N N are provided with hooks i 2", adapted to fit into undercut slots in the upper surface of the shoe F. These undercut slots will be so formed as to prevent the cutters from being disconnected from the shoe unless they are turned back nearly against the mold-board; hence, when in the position shown in the drawings, they will never become disconnected, while at the same time the cutters can be easily and quickly disconnected, when desired, by removing the nuts h h and bending the cutters backward toward the mold-board.

A is an auxiliary cross-piece a short distance forward of the cross-piece A", and secured by its ends to the sides A A Hinged to the under side of the cross-piece A A, on a line even with the frame E, where it crosses the line of the lower surface of the side A, is a plate, 1, adapted to be folded up out of the way when not in use, or folded down at the same angle as the side of the ditch, as shown in Fig. 7, and held in that position by a brace, R, pivoted at k to the cross-piece A, and adapted to rest down against the plate P, or be raised upward out of the way when not in use. By this means the plate P forms a landside to press against the side of the ditch and counteract the tendency of the plow to be thrown around by the pressure of the earth upon the mold-board.

T T are two standards or brackets rising from the forward ends of the sides A A in which a wooden bolster or axle-frame, T, is pivoted, as shown.

T is an axle carrying the wheels T T' upon its ends and pivotally connected to the frame T" by a fifth-wheel, m, and bolster-plate T \Vhen the axle-frame is turned downward by means of the pivots in the brackets T T, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, a truck for carrying the forward end of the plow when it is to be transported from place to place is provided, or the truck may be turned up out of the way when not in use, as shown by full lines in Figs. 1, 2, and 6.

T is a bar or hound, secured in the axleframe as shown, and provided with braces 11, and to which a tongue, T, rshown in dotted lines in Fig. 1,) is adapted to be attached when the plow is to be transported or removed when the truck is to be turned up out of the y. The, clevis to which the draft chain or cable is secured will be attached to the cross-piece A, and consists in a forked rod, V, embracing the piece A, and having a serrated roller, V secured between its rear ends by a pin or bolt, V. The roller V has small flanges upon both ends, which project over the edges of the cross-piece A", and serve to keep the roller in position. The serrations 011 the roller V press into the wooden piece Af, so that by striking the clevis a light blow the roller will be revolved to the right or left and be drawn tightly against the wood, and be held stationary wherever left by the strain of the cable. This strain of the cable will hold the clevis very firmly in pl u cross-piece A, while at the same time it can be easily moved from side to side by light blows, or by the use of a lever or pinch-bar, so as to alter the draft of the plow at pleasure.

In Fig. 13 two dotted lines, 1 r, are shown leading from the outer end of the clevis, representing the directions'of the draft. Vhen the draft is at no greater angle to the plow than represented by line 1*,wl1ich is about the greatest angle ordinary ditching will require, the roller V will be sufficient to hold the clevis from being moved sidewise by the strain of the cable; but when short angles or corners are to be turned, and the Windlass or other apparatus for propelling the plow is set so as to cause the cable to assume the position shown by dotted lines N, then the roller V is in danger of rolling along the piece A and to prevent this I provide the piece A with a series of holes, 1, in one of which a stop-pin, t", may be inserted, against which the clevis will be held. This pin it is only necessary, however, when the plow is to be turned at a sharp angle or in a short circle.

Q represents a tool-box placed on the frame back of the mold-board.

The pin V may be keyed into the roller 'V and provided with a square headto receive a wrench, or an eye to receive a lever, by which the roller may be revolved to move it along the cross-piece A".

A plate, V, provided with serrations corresponding to the teeth in the roller V will be attached to the inner face of the cross-piece A, upon which the roller will run and be prevented from cutting into the wood.

Having fully described my invention and set forth its merits, what I claim is 1. The brace H, hinged to cross-piece A, and having a graduated notched upper end, in combination with the hinged frame E, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

'2. The combination of standard K, a nut, M, having three of its sides grooved and fitted between the two sides of the standard, a cutter, N, on one side of the standard, and a binding-plate, M on the other side, and a yokebolt, h, fitting into the grooved sides of nut M, and through cutter N and plate M so as to hold them to the standard, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of standard K, a cutter, N, a plate, M", provided with flanges fitting around the sides of standard K, a nut within the standard, and a screw for raising and lowering it, and a bolt connecting the cutter and plate to the nut within the standard, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The standard K and the cutter N adjustable thereon, and having a hook at its lower end, in combination with the shoe on the end of frameE, having an undercut slot init to receive the hooked'end of the cutter, sub- 20 stantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The hinged plate 1?, in combination with the brace R, pivoted at one end to a cross-piece,

A, whereby it is adapted to be raised edgewise, and supported by its lower edge resting upon the plate I, as set forth.

6. In a ditching-plow, the axle-frame T hinged to the ditcher-frame, in combination with the axle T pivotally connected to the axle-frame by bolster-plated? and fifth-wheel m, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In a ditching-plow, the axle-frame T of the form shown, and pivoted in standards T T, in combination with axlel and its wheels, whereby a wheeled truck is formed,which may be operated as shown and described, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

-OHARLES DUGLASS EDWARDS. Witnesses:

G. W. CHURCH, M. D. LAPHAM. 

